To protect the integrity of Maine’s system of voting and state government, we must stop the influx of out-of-state profit seekers’ donations to candidates for Maine state and federal office.

For example, both Bruce Poliquin and Dale Crafts, former Republican candidates for the 2nd Congressional District, took $10,000 each from Kansas-based Koch Industries, one of the nation’s worst water and air polluters.

According to recent reports filed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage, he has already received thousands from a Nevada assault rifle manufacturer and even more from one of the richest Florida real estate developers.

Sadly, state lawmakers from around the Lewiston-Auburn area, Republicans Jeffrey Timberlake, Laurel Libby, Jonathan Connor and Bruce Bickford voted against LD 1417, a ban on corporate contributions to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates, which passed. They also voted against LD 194, banning foreign corporate money in Maine referendum questions.

Time for us to start paying attention as to whom we elect to office.

Patrick Eisenhart, Lewiston